Writing instrument



March 15, 1960 c. BERGoNzo WRITING INSTRUMENT Filed Feb. 12, 1957 e w m /N ,....Inw

CHAR/ Es BERGO/vzo 5y i -rry.

WRITING INSTRUMENT Charles Bergonzo, Moutier, Switzerland Application February 12, 1957, Serial No. 639,678 v Claims priority, application Switzerland June 28, 1956 y sV claims. (ci. 12o-42.13)

The present invention has for its object a writing instrument of the kind comprising an envelope enclosing several ink cartridges, each provided with a writing tip which may occupy a withdrawn position in the inner of said envelope and a writing position defined by means of a locking device and for which said tip emerges from an opening made in one of the extremities of the envelope, 'an actuating member emerging from the rear extremity lof the envelope and allowing to bring, against the action of the spring, any one of said writing tips in the writing position, and a selection device allowing the choice of the writing tip desired, actuated by said actuating memb'er out of its withdrawn position.

In the writing instruments of this kind now on the market, the selection device is generally constituted by a drum angularly displaceable and which carries an eccentric push rod. Said push rod displaces step by step in front of heads carried by rods sliding inside of guides providedA in a guiding member rigidly fastened to the envelope. Each rod, submitted to the action of a return spring whichntends to maintain said rod in its rest position, carries an ink cartridge provided with a writing tip. When the user desires to set in writing position a tip of a given colour, he is thus in the obligation to displace angularly the drum by actuating in rotation the actuating member until a reference mark of the vdesired colour appears in a window. l

Now it seems, according to the last statements made, that the operations which are necessary in order to set in writing vposition a tip of a given colour, are too great in number and overall of too various kinds, so that the 'manufacturers of this kind of writing instruments with several colours meet very great difiiculties in the diffusion of said writing instruments notwithstanding their evident advantages.

The writing instrument object of the invention tends to remedy'to this drawback by the fact that it comprises a selection device presenting an eccentricvpush rod, carried by an indexing drum, the angular displacements of which are controlled by axial displacements of the actuating member emerging from the Vrear extremity of the envelope.

The attached drawingV illustrates schematically and by way of example one form of execution of the writing instrument according to the invention. Fig. `l is anv axial cross section, a writing tip being in the writing position.

Fig'. 2 is a partial axial cross section along line II-II of Fig. l.

Figs. 3 to 6 are views at a greater scale of the indexing drum and of its actuating members in different positions illustrating the working of the indexing operations.

Fig. 7 shows another stopping device for the indexing According to the attached drawing, the writing instru- .ment comprises an envelope of a general cylindrical shape formedof a front part 1 and of a rear part 2. The IOntextremity 3 of sad, enve1ope is tapered andpro- ICC vided with an opening4 whilst its rear extremity 5 is slightly conical and comprises an opening 6. In the rear part 2 of the envelope a frame 7 is driven in; said frame carries a guiding plate 8 provided with guides 9 in each of which slides a carrying member constituted by a rod 10 submitted to the action of a return springll. In the example illustrated, the plate 8 comprises four guides 9 and each rod 10 comprises a split end 10a constituting an elastic carrier for a removable cartridge 12 provided at its front extremity with a writing tip 13. The frame 7 presents a boring 14 in which slides and revolves an indexing drum 15 provided with an eccentric push rod 18. Said indexing drum is rigidly fastened to an 'actuating member 19 constituted by a push rodeo-V axial to the axis of the envelope 1, 2; said push rod carries at its rear extremitya head 20 emerging from the envelope through the opening 6 and at its lfront extremity, a guiding boring `16 in which slides a central guide 17 fastened on the plate 8.- Said head 20 is retained on the extremity of the pushvrod 19 by means of a screw 21 and an axial bearing 22 allows the angular displacements between the push rod 19 and this head 20. A plug 23 closes the rear extremity of the head 20.

A locking device is provided in order to maintain the push rod 19 in working position, that is to say, in the` writing position (position represented on Fig. l) against the action of a return spring 24 bearing on the plate 8 by the intermediary of a ball-bearing 25 in order to reduce the friction of said spring which is driven in the angular displacement of said drum 15 and said push rod 19 by means of the friction of its rear end elastically applied against the end face h of said push rod. Said locking device comprises'a pin 26 sliding in a radial housing 27 of the push-rod 19 and submitted to the action of a spring 28 tending to make emerge said pin out of its housing 25. In the locking position (Fig. l), said pin is engaged under a circular edge 29 of a sleeve 30 rigidly fastened on a cap 31 coaxially to the axis of the envelope. The radial displacement of said pin 26 under the action of its spring 28 is limited by a circular wall 32 of. a groove 33 made in a ring 34 sliding freely along the push rod 19 between two end positions defined, on the one hand, by a truncated surface 35 forming thebottom of the groove 33 and which rests on a truncated Wall 36 forming the front end of the sleeve 30 and, on the other hand, by the housing 27 against the action of the spring 28 and, on f the other hand, the sleeve 30 fastened onto vthe cap 31.

' The selection device is constituted by the indexing drum 15 provided with two sets of four cams constituted by inclinedv surfaces 39 and 40. .The Acams 40 cooperate with a control finger 41 fastened to the frame 7, whilst the cams 39`cooperate with a control finger 42 displaceable along an elongated slot 43 (Fig. 3) provided in the frame7 and in the rear part 2 of the envelope. `The control finger 42 carries an actuating member 44 enabling the displacement of said finger from an active position (Fig. 4) defined by the right extremity 45 of the 'slot 43, to an inactive position defined by the other extremity 46 of said slot 43. f Each cam 39 and 40 extends sub-v stantially over one eighth of the periphery of Vthe indexing drum 15 and besides said setsofcams39 and,40 are angularly displaced onewithv 'respect vto the other'v of about one eighth of a revolution.K Y Y following:

The working ofthe described writing-nstrumentisthe i all `the cartridgeslZ-provided withtheirwriting tips 13 are entirely withdrawn insidethe envelope 1, 2 and maintained in this position defined. by an abutment face 53 cooperating withth'e lwerlzface'loffthe plate 8 u'nderthe action oftheir respective returnvsprings 11.

By 'exerting a push ir the "idirection of the arrow f' on the head`20, the user" causes `the kaxial displacement of ,said push rodV 19, the frontV face of which cornes in contact with radial edges g of the `d'rurr'r 15, whereby said drum and said eccentric push rod 18 are `driven by the axial `di'splacem'e'ntyof said push rod 19. Said centric push-rod acts 'during its displacement on the head 47 of one of the rods 10 and actuates thus one Yof the cartridges 12 against the 'actiotrof its return spring to its wfitingposition (Fig. 1).` This writing position is defined by the pin 2'6 which'engages under the edge 29 of the 'sleeve which lth'en `opposes toa `backward Vdisplacement of-the-pu'sh ro'cl19 and maintains thus one of the writing tips 13 in writing'position against the action of the returnsprings 1'1 and 22.4.` Y

In order t allow theengagement of the pin 26 under the edge 29 it is necessary to `exert a push in the direc- Ition -of the arrow f on the head by maintaining the writing instrument with its tapered extremity pointing downwards in order that the ring 34 may slide, under the action of its own weight, along the push rod 19 until the position represented on Fig. l, defined bythe front face 37, rests on the rear face of theiframe 7.

In order to cause the releasing of the locking device and thus the return of said writing tip to its withdrawn position, it is sufiicient to exert anew a push f on the Consequently the indexing drum 15 has been displaced twice of one eighth of revolution, that is to say, onthe whole, of one fourth of a revolution, so that its eccentric push rod 18 is now located opposite to the head 47 of the next rod 10. By making successively several times sectors 51 of colours-corresponding tothe colours of the writing instruments 12.Y Each of saidfsectors appears successively in thewindow 50, each time the drum 15 is in its rest position.

A stopping device maintains said indexing drum in an angular position for which its eccentric push rod18is located opposite the rear extremity of one' rod- 10. Said stopping device is constituted, in the form of execution illustrated, by a controlltinger 41, the cam 40 and inclined surfaces 52 connecting said cams 4.0 between them. Each working position of the indexing drum is defined by said nger 41 located in the groove formed by two successive inclined surfaces 40 and 52 (Figs; 3 and `4). This control finger 41 cooperating with two inclined surfaces 40, 52, defines also the rest position (Figs. 3 and 4) of the push rod 19.

head 20 in order to cause an axial displacement of the push rod 19 beyond thewriting position in order to bring the pin 26 to cooperate with the conical surface 35. Said conical surface then pushes back the pin 26 in the innerof its housing 27.V This-foreposition of the push rod 19`is` defined by a circular groove 48 made in the ring 34 and in which the pin gets engaged under the action of its springY 28. When the YuserA releases its action on the head 20, the-push rod'19, actuated by its return spring 24, comes back in its rest position (Fig. '2). Indeed, said push rod 19, Istarting from its foreposition, drives said ring 34 in its Vreturn movement by means of thepin 26 maintained by its spring'28 in engagementvwith the? groove 48. p During said displacement, the truncated bottom 35 of said Yring abutson the truncated extremity 36sof the sleeve 30. VThe ring 34 is then stopped in `its movement and the pin 26, which can no more mesh with the groove 33 for said groove is obturated by the sleeve 30,jslides along the` internal surface of saidV sleeve 30 and then along the wall of a guiding drilling 49 made in the cap 31 until the writing tip 13 reaches its withdrawn position. f

When all the writing `tips 13-are m theirv withdrawn 1 position, and user is desirous to set in writingV positionV a given writing `tip 173, he sets the control*V member 42 in active position, f that ist to say in the extremity 45 of.

'the slot 43. -He exerts then an axial Apushron the head 20 in. order to cause'an axial displacement of the push rod 1,9 of an amplitudev which is suficientin order to let slide onefof the am's 39 along' the control "member Y42 and to cause thus anVY angular displacement Yof the drum 15 of `o'n'e eighth of 'revolution and Vto bring thus 'said When the sector 51 ofthe desired colour appears in the window 50, the user acts on the actuating member 44 in order to bring the control finger 42 from its active position to its inactive position (Fig. 3). Said control finger 42 is then located in a diametral plane of the drum 15 which'does not cut any of the cams 39. Consequently, when the user actuatcs the push rod19 from its rest position to the writing position, none of the cams comes in mesh with the finger 42, so that the indexing drum 15 remains in its angularposition and said eccentric push rod 18 actuates', to its writing position, the writing tip corresponding to the Acolour of the sector 51 appearing in the window 50. The selection device being thus set out of working. this same writing tip may be withdrawn in the inner of the envelope, then returned in its writing position so many times as desired and as long as said controlfin'ger 42 is not reset in its active lowe'd by 'areleasing of said head inorder to allow the return movement of said head until its rest position under the action'of it's return spring. The ball-bearings 22 and 25 insure a smooth and exact working of the selection device and avoid especially any angular back movement of the drum 15 due,for instance, to a torsion torque stored, during therfir'st angular displacement of one-eighth of Vrevolution lof indexing drum 15, into the indexing drum, atleast, to theV axial position, represented by Fig` 6. The use'r releases then his action on the head 5201 and. the spring4 24 brings back the push 'rod 19Y to its start position. During this backward movement, one of the cams 40 carried bythe indexing drum 15, lcornes in engagementfwith the control finger 41 (Fig. 5). VSaid cam-.40 slides then 'under saidlvco'nt'rol` finger 41 Vand pauses, thereby,` an angular displcernfentf the indexing drum 15, ofa'value ,which isllll z about tineY eighth of rey`olu tio`t'1.` 'When thepufsh rod 19 vreaches anew V,its rest positron, the control, finger 41 is located at the lwei extremity/'ef ine `new as represented byFig. 4.

kreturn spring or into the skinroflthe finger of the user.

.The working ofthe writing instrument is entirely automatic and the user has no more any possibility of exe'- cuting a false operation, which represents a real advantage withrespect to the `writing instruments of the kind` describedand now on the market.

Ina variant, the described stopping devicecbuld be, for instance as shown by Fig. 17,*constituted by a pin 60 sliding-in a radial'housing 61` provided` in the indexingldrum -15 vand vsubmittedv to, the action of` a spring 62 in order to cooperate with longitudinal grooves 63 i made in the walls ftheboring 14. J- Thus, the indexing drum 15 would be retained in various working positions t not only when the writing tips 13 4are in their withdrawn rality of ink cartridges enclosed in said envelope and each having a writing tip, spring means urging ,each of saidpcartridges to a withdrawn position in which the tip thereof is within said envelope, means for movingand l. A writing instrument comprising an envelope, av

plurality of ink cartridges spaced equidistant about and from a common axis, said cartridges enclosed in said envelope and each having a writing tip, spring means urging each of said cartridges to a withdrawn position in which the tip thereof is within said envelope, means for moving and retaining a selected one of said cartridges to writing position in which the tip thereof extends from one end of said envelope, said last-mentioned means including an actuating member extending from the other end of said envelope, an indexing drum, means mounting said drum for rotational and longitudinal movement, said drum carrying an eccentric axially extending pusher rod for engaging said cartridges one at a time, a locking device movable into locking position upon actuation of said actuating member towards said one end of said envelope, means to cause the withdrawal of said locking device upon further actuation of said member toward said end land the subsequent release thereof, means to cause at least part of said moving and retaining means to progress step by step ,to move and retain each cartridge successively in writing position upon actuation of said actuating member, and means to render ineffective said 1ast-mentioned means to permit successive repeated movement and retention of a selected cartridge upon repeated actuation of said actuating member.

2. A writing instrument according to claim V1, locking device comprising a pin slidable in a radial bore in said moving means, a spring urging said pin outwardly for engagement with an abutment carried by said enve lope, said means causing withdrawal of said pin comprising a ring having an interior sloping surfaceengaged by said pin upon said further actuation of said actuating member. e

3. A writing instrument comprising an envelope, a pluretaining a selected one of said cartridges to writing position in which the tip thereof extends from one end of said envelope, said last-mentioned means including an actuating member extending from the other end of said envelope, spring means acting on said moving means and urging said moving means towards a rest position in which said actuating member emerges from said end of said envelope, selection means to eiect stepwise rotation of said moving means and comprising a first control member displaceable from an active position to an inactive position, and first cam means causing, when saidV first control member is in active position and upon actuation of said actuating member, a rotation of said'VV moving means through a partial revolution, and a second t control member and second cam means causing, upon releasing said actuating member and backward movementV for actuation of any one of Ysaid cartridges, and upon Y displacement of said rst control member to inactive position, said rst control member may not come in mesh with'said rst cam means upon actuation of said actuating member, and whereby upon actuation of said actuating member said moving means move a selected cartridge in writing position and wherebyrupon repeated actuation of said actuating membersaid selected cartridg is repeatedly moved into writing position. f

References Cited in the le of this patent UNrrEDsTATEs PATENTS n Tintner Feb. 19, 1957 

